Harvesting-machine



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. F. SHAW.

Harvesting-Machine. Nb; 228,786. Patented June 15,1880.

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No. 228,786. Patented June 15,1880.

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N.PETER5. PHQTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON, o O.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY F. SHAW, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

HARVESTING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 228,786, dated June 15, 1880.

Application filed November 1'7, 1879.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY F. SHAW, 0 Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Harvesting Machines, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to harvesting-machines, particularly to a manner and mechanism for obtaining the reciprocating movement of the cutter-bar in said machines.

My invention consists, first, in the employment of two gears differing in number of teeth and working into each otherone an internal gear and the other an external gear-one of which, when the reciprocating motion is to be obtained, is made stationary with reference to the frame of the machine, while the other is revolved by means of one or two connections, each having a flexible or universal joint both with a shaft of a driving-wheel and with the revolving gear, the said revolving gear being thus caused to have another motion-namely, a motion by which its center moves around another center, namely, the center of the stationary gear; secondly, in obtaining the reciprocating movement of the cutter-bar by means of a lever swung by one of the said connections, each of which will have a vibratory motion; thirdly, in the special mechanism, hereinafter described, whereby the several parts of my invention, above specified, may operate.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a harvesting-machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a front view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on a line through the axes of the driving-wheels. Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 1 1 in Fig. 1, showingparts to the right of said line. Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 1 1 in Fig. 1, showing parts to the left of said line.

The driving-wheels A A are set, as is common, so that their axes are in the same straight line. The main frame-work is composed of the four bars B B and O 0, each pair joining a bearing, D, for the shaft of a driving-wheel, together with a circular piece, E, which joins the four bars, as shown. The shoe to is at tached to a frame formed of the bars I) and c, which end in bearings cl and e, by which this frame may swing on the shafts of the driving-wheels to raise the cutter-bar in the usual manner, the cutter-bar being connected with the frame I) c and shoe to in the usual way.

Instead of one long shaft or axle for the two driving-wheels, I use two short shafts, F and G, each joined rigidly to its wheel. The shafts F and G are set in the same straight line, but do not meet, there being a suitable space between their inner ends. On each of the shafts is a sleeve,f, which, being fastened to the shaft, is as a part thereof, and being atthe inner side of a bearing, D, keeps the shaft and wheel in place.

In the inner ends of the sleeves for of the shafts F and G are journaled the ends of the axle of a crank, H. On the wrist g of the crank H, to revolve thereon, is an external gear, I. This gear has a few teeth less than the internal gear, J, into which it works, as shown. The internal gear, J, is in the form of a ring, which is fitted to and partially inclos'ed in a recess in the circular piece E of the main frame-work, so thatit may revolve therein, having its center in the line of the axes of the driving-wheels. The internal gear, J, may be prevented from revolving by a pin or stop, h, which, moving in a bearing in the piece E,- may be pressed into a recess in the ring and gear J by means of a lever, i.

There are two connecting-pieces, K and L, (here shown as hollow cone-shaped tubes,) between the shafts F and G and the gear 1, one on each side of the gear. Each of the connectingpieces K and L is squared or given other suitable shape internally atthe outer end, to fit on a correspondiugly-formed portion, j, of a sleeve, f, or of one of the shafts F and G, so that each connecting-piece revolves with a shaft and its driving-wheel, and may have a vibratory movement. There is a circular ratchet, M, on each side of the gear I, and a pawl, it, operated by a spring, to work in the ratchet on the corresponding connecting-piece. There is a recess, Z, on each side of the gear I, into which the end of a connecting-piece fits to still further assist in keeping it in place and allow its vibratory motion, a universal joint being formed. Thus, by means of the connecting-pieces K and L, flexible connections are made between the gear I and the shafts of the driving-wheels.

About the connecting-piece K is a ring or band, N, which, the opening in it being elongated vertically, bears against two sides only of the piece K as the latter revolves in the ring or band N. The ring or band N is rigidly joined to a lever bent at, or nearly at, right angles, and having two arms, 0 and P. This lever O P is made to swing, being pivoted at m directly under the center of the vibratory motion of the piece K. The longer arm, P, of

this lever is to be connected at its outer end,

a, to a cutter-bar by a pitman-rod or other well-known device.

The machine being'constructed as shown and described,thc operation is as follows The revolution of the driving-wheels A A in the forward 1110"?)11161117 of the machine will cause a revolution of the connecting-pieces K and L, which, by the pawls 70 working on the ratchets M, will cause a revolution of the external gear, I. A revolution of the driving-wheels, caused by a backward movement of the machine, will revolve the connecting-pieces in the direction for the pawls I; t to slip over the teeth of the ratchets M, and the gear I will not be revolved; also, it will be seen that the forward movement of only one, and either one, of the driving-wheels will cause the gear I to revolve. NVhen the gear I revolves and the gear J is made stationary with reference to the frame of the machine by thrusting in the stop It, the gear I will travel around in the internal gear, J, the crank H keeping the external gear in position to mesh with the internal gear. The motion of the external gear, I, in which its center revolv as around the center of the gear J, or, in other words, the revolution of the crank H, will be much more rapid than the revolution of the gear I on its own center, and the rapidity of this motion will be determined by the diiference between the number of teeth in the gears .I and J.

At each revolution of the crank H and corresponding movement of the gear I a vibratory movement is given to the connectingpiece K. The latter, by means of the ring or band N, swings the lever O I on its pivot, which lever, being suitably connected with the cutter-bar, as before mentioned, gives the rapid reciprocating movement to the cutterbar, as desired. If a forward movement of the machine without reciprocating the cutterbar is wanted, the pin or stop h is withdrawn from its hold on the ring and gear J, when the revolution of the gear I simply causes a revolution of the ring and gear J.

I am well aware that many modifications 0f the mechanism described may be made and still the more important features of my invention be involved. Thus, in showing that the required reciprocating movement may be obtained by the use of only two gears, I have shown the internal gear as the stationary one while the external gear revolves; but a similar result may be obtained by making the external gear stationary and the internal gear to revolve by means of suitable connections for driving the same.

It will also be seen that my arrangement of two gears is adapted to that class of harvesters having only one drivingwheel.

I claim as my invention- 1.. A harvesting-machinc in which the reciprocating movement of the cutter-bar is obtained by the employment of two gears meshing into each other, one of which is stationary and the other revolves, being driven by means of one or two intermediate or connecting pieces, each having a universal or flexible joint both with the revolving gear and with the shaft of a driving-wheel, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

2. The connecting-piece K or L, having a universal or flexible joint with a shaft of a driving-wheel, and with the revolving gear I, and having a pawl, 70, in combination with the gear I, having the motions specified and having a ratchet, M, substantially as hereinbefore described.

3. In combination with an intermediate or connecting piece, K, having the universal or flexible joints, with a gear, I, and with a shaft of a driving-wheel, so as to have the motions specified, the ring or band N, and lever O I the latter pivoted and operating substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

HENRY F. SHAIV.

i tnesses:

Enw. DUMMER, LOUIS COHEN. 

